How to Find Time to Read?
The journey of a lifetime starts with a turning of a page.
Reading is Power
Reading improves our ability to focus, increase knowledge, enhance vocabulary, provide new experiences, etc. The right book can change our lives forever. But it won’t read itself, therefore we need to invest ourselves and our time to extract knowledge from it. And that knowledge is the secret weapon we can carry with us anywhere we go.
The question then is; How to find time to read?
And the answer is simple; you don’t find time to read; you make it. You make it a priority and then stick to it no matter what.
If you want to read 30 minutes per day, 1 hour per day, or just a few pages, you’ll find that little time slot. Considering that we’re wasting most of our days on non-important tasks, we can definitely find 30 or 60 minutes for improvement. If the most successful people on Earth can find the time, then none of us have an excuse not to do so.
You can read in the morning before anyone wakes up.
You can read while drinking coffee or tea.
You can read instead of watching TV or surfing the web.
You can read in a launch break.
You can read while commuting (if you’re not a driver ofc). Even if you are a driver, you can listen to audiobooks and podcasts and thus absorb knowledge.
You can read on a train, plane, boat, spaceship. You can read anywhere you want.
You can read while waiting in line at the bank or the post office.
You can read instead of a Netflix show that won’t bring you much more than a few moments of laughter (if).
You can read while taking a bath.
You can read before sleep.
You can read ________.
I know, I know. Sounds easier than it is. But let me tell you, nothing worth having in life comes easy. Maybe you’re looking for a shortcut to reading every day. Surprise! There are no shortcuts. Yes, someone may tell you that you can speed-read, but this is still reading. You can listen to audiobooks, but they also have certain limitations.
The best way to read is to stop cheating yourself. Reading is not a punishment (and if you’re reading this post, I’ll assume you like the idea of reading more often). It’s a beautiful thing and we must appreciate it as it is. The best way to do this is by spending more time reading and actually enjoying the process.
My Reading Journey
I started my reading habit by strictly allocating 30 minutes per day to something that can improve my life. Before opening the first page, I would put a stopwatch or countdown for 30 minutes and then read until time ran out. Reading is the only thing important in that time period. When I read, I am in the present, not in the past, nor in the future. This time is sacred. Over time, I increased my reading time to 60 minutes.
Nowadays I read 60+ minutes every day of the year. Whether I’m on vacation, whether I am traveling, whether I’m sick, whether it’s Christmas, New Year, or some other holiday. Reading is a habit for me. Like breathing. I do it every day without fail.
I’ve noticed that I’m the brightest to absorb new concepts and ideas early in the morning, accordingly it’s my preferred time to read.
Even when my day is hectic and I can’t read before, I read before going to bed. I simply set the timer to 60 minutes, relax and start reading.
With books, time passes quickly. Especially when you read something you’re interested in.
Every day I look forward to that little slot of ‘me time’. Besides the gym, reading is my favorite activity.
Let’s Get Down to The Numbers
Exchange one hour of TV time with one hour of reading.
In 365 days you will read 365 hours. 365 hours is 21,900 minutes. If you read one page per minute, that’s more than:
- 109 books if a book contains 200 pages
- 73 books if a book contains 300 pages
- 43 books if a book contains 500 pages
This is just an estimate. Everyone reads at a different speed and a different understanding level. But really, there is no excuse not to read. One hour of TV less can be the difference between thousands of books read in a lifetime.
In the last few years with one hour of reading I have read:
- 58 books in 2020
- 47 books in 2019
- 42 books in 2018
- 45 books in 2017
(the number of books I read depends on the average number of pages the book contains + sometimes I read more than one hour)
10 Tips to Find Time to Read
- Read books you enjoy
- Eliminate distractions
- Allocate a specific time period to read / or number of pages you want to read
- Make reading a part of your routine
- Make reading a priority
- Read in short bursts whenever and wherever (every page counts)
- Use tech to your advantage (sync books across all your devices so you can read them anywhere and anytime)
- Set a goal and track your progress (example: 25 books by the end of the year or 365 hours of reading per year)
- Remember to have fun
- Just start
The goal isn’t to read a book in one sitting; the goal is to develop a lifelong habit of feeding yourself food for thought and exposing yourself to new ideas.
In today’s world, there really is no excuse not to read. With all the apps, audiobooks, and many other outlets.
Reading more isn’t a secret. It comes down to choices.
Warning!
Side effects of reading may include:
- Increased intelligence
- More knowledge
- Increased attention span, concentration, and memory
- Better ideas
- Better understanding of yourself and others
- An awkward silence when someone asks you what happened on Breaking Bad last night, and you say “Breaking what?”
- Vocabulary expansion
- Stronger analytical thinking skills
- Better writing skills
- Stress reduction
- Decreased risk of dementia
- And many more
Life is like a book. Some chapters are sad, some happy, and some exciting. But if you never turn the page, you will never know what the next chapter holds.
Cheers!
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